It’s playoff time, and baseball’s Mr. October, Reggie Jackson, showed up at the Metrodome on Saturday. The two-time World Series most valuable player works for the New York Yankees, in town for tonight’s first-round playoff Game 3 against the Twins.

Jackson, 63, was the American League MVP in 1973 with the Yankees, for whom he has been a loyal employee for 20 years following a hall of fame playing career.

So his response, when asked for an opinion on who will win this season’s AL MVP, wasn’t unexpected.

The Twins’ Joe Mauer? The Yankees’ Mark Teixeira or Derek Jeter?

“I work for the Yankees,” Jackson said. “The Yankees have the ‘face of baseball.’ ”

That would be Jeter. But if Reggie were candid, and he normally is, he probably would have to admit that Mauer will be this season’s MVP when the award winner is announced next month.

Jackson, who hit 563 career home runs, greatly respects Mauer, who at age 26 already has won three batting championships.

“He’s a big timer, a big-time player who is on his way to the Hall of Fame,” Jackson said. “I want to see him stay healthy because he’s wonderful to watch.

“And (Mauer) got as many infield hits as you did,” Jackson said with a laugh.

Among Ichiro’s 225 hits, 59 were infield hits. Of Mauer’s 191 hits, only six were infield hits.

Jackson was at the Metrodome in 1987 as a national TV analyst when the Twins were en route to winning the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. I asked him then how he felt about Kirby Puckett‘s future.

“I would rather have my past,” Reggie, never shy about his many accomplishments, responded instantly about the future hall of fame Twin.

On Saturday, I asked Jackson about Mauer’s future and the free-agent contract he could end up getting.

“But you hope when the (Twins’) new stadium comes, that helps the money and the (Pohlad ownership) family OKs the paydays for him,” he said.

Speaking of futures, Jackson said, “I always tell Derek Jeter that I’d rather have his future than my past because I would have had that $200 million.”

And speaking of stadiums, Reggie, wearing the same black top hat he wore when he made the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium before Friday night’s Yankees-Twins game, said he’s puzzled as to why the Twins’ new ballpark, Target Field, won’t have a roof. After all, it was 28 degrees outside the Metrodome on Saturday morning.

Jackson, as he said, works for the Yankees’ Steinbrenner family ownership.

“I do what I’m told, whatever they ask,” he said. “I’m in baseball operations.”

But he was at the Metrodome on Saturday was to tape a TV show he hosts, “The Pride of October,” for Turner Broadcasting. His subject was Jack Morris, the former Twins pitcher he interviewed for more than an hour in the seats two dozen rows behind home plate. The feature will be aired next week.

“I’ve done (hall of famers) Bob Gibson, Frank Robinson, Yogi (Berra), (future hall of famer) Derek Jeter; I get to pick them, and I wanted to pick Jack Morris because I think he’s unsung,” Jackson said. “Jack Morris is one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He’s in the mold of (hall of famers) Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Jim Palmer, Juan Marichal. Morris was a true No. 1, an ace.

“There’s a guy who should be in the Hall of Fame. He was the premier pitcher in the 1980s. Gibson had 251 victories; Palmer had 268.”

Morris, from St. Paul, had 254 victories.

“Morris was going to be there whether he was losing 8-0 or winning 8-0; you were going to get your four at-bats off this guy. He was going to start what he finished.”

Jackson was asked what memories he has of the Metrodome.

“I remember that game (Game 7, 1991 World Series, a 1-0 victory in 10 innings over Atlanta) Morris pitched and the catches Kirby Puckett made here,” he said.

It’s been almost a fairy tale three weeks for the Twins.

“We’ve been in an elimination game for the past three weeks, especially the last week,” first baseman Michael Cuddyer said Saturday. “If we lost any of those games, our playoff hopes are done. Which is what it’s hopefully going to be like the next three days. We’ve responded.”

But the Twins are 0-9 against the Yankees this season.

“You look at their lineup, hall of famers, all-stars throughout it, but to say we’re hexed or scared of them, that’s all false,” Cuddyer said. “We’ve played with them, but for whatever reason, we’ve been ‘walked off’ four of our last six games with them. And in order to be walked off, that means you have to be in the lead going into the ninth inning. It’s just unfortunate we couldn’t hold it down.

“But if we had the mentality that it’s over, we would have been done a long time ago.”

How good are the undefeated Vikings? The team should win its fifth straight game today at St. Louis, then find out in the ensuing three weeks if it’s an elite team.

Following the game against the Rams, the Vikings (4-0) will play host to Baltimore (3-1), then travel to Pittsburgh (2-2), then to Green Bay (2-2), before their bye week. It is the most difficult stretch of games they’ll have this season.

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf says he’s pleased with coach Brad Childress but won’t comment about whether a contract extension is forthcoming. The bye week (Nov. 8) would seem an appropriate time for an extension for Childress, who is in his fourth season and has just next year remaining on his contract.

Twins President Dave St. Peter on his team, which plays the Yankees inside the comfort of the Metrodome this evening but next season moves outdoors at Target Field: “When you get to October, the weather changes, and frankly, that’s going to be one of our advantages.

“Hopefully, we’ll have guys accustomed to playing in chilly weather from time to time. That will be one of the realities at Target Field. But I hope it happens every year (in October); I put this in the category of a good problem. I’d love to deal with it every year.”

When the Twins flew back to Minnesota from New York in the wee hours Saturday morning, it was snowing in the Twin Cities.

The quiet beneficiary of having Brett Favre, now 40, as quarterback of the Vikings should be backup QB Tarvaris Jackson. Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers benefited from watching Favre with the Packers from the bench for three seasons in Green Bay. Maybe if Jackson can spend this season studying Favre, he’ll be better for it.

Not only could Favre affect Jackson’s development, but it’s clear that Favre has made a huge difference in wide receiver Sidney Rice. That’s what Favre does — makes receivers better.

The only receiver who hasn’t needed an exceptional QB to be great is ex-Viking Randy Moss of the Patriots. Moss is the exception in that he made Daunte Culpepper a better QB during their days together in Minnesota.

The Twins’ Scott Baker said Saturday he’s ready for a Monday start if needed.

Twins reliever Pat Neshek, 29, who underwent ligament replacement surgery in his throwing arm nearly a year ago, said he’s about 75 percent recovered and will be ready for spring training next year.

Twins players didn’t get back to their residences in the Twin Cities on Saturday from New York until about 3 a.m. But outfielder Carlos Gomez said it’s no big deal.

“Because we passed through the minor leagues, and in the minors, we would drive 12, 13 hours to play the next day,” he said.

Twins backup catcher Jose Morales, 26, plans to play for Santurce in Puerto Rico this winter. Gomez plans to play 25 games for the Escondido club in the Dominican this winter.

Gomez, by the way, was among the first of a few Twins who worked out Saturday morning at the Metrodome.

If the Twins were able to advance past the Yankees, and if the Angels were to advance past Boston, the Twins would open the next round of playoffs in Anaheim. If the Red Sox were to win, the Twins would play Boston at the Metrodome.

DON’T PRINT THAT

One retired NFL referee, who spent more than two decades working games, confided that the player he most respected for his energy and sportsmanship on the field and the way he played football is Vikings QB Brett Favre.

No negotiations are under way for a contract extension for the Twins’ Joe Mauer, who can become a free agent after next season.

Word outside the Metrodome is that on-site brokers’ Twins-Yankees tickets for tonight’s game that would have cost $90 a few days ago now are going for $25 apiece.

QB Kyle Boller, who will start for the Rams against the Vikings today in place ofMarc Bulger, is the guy who, as a Baltimore Raven, basically knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs in Mike Tice‘s second-to-last game as head coach.

Despite the Vikings’ fast start, which was expected, the two teams that will be tough for Minnesota to get past in the NFC playoffs are New York and Philadelphia.

That green olive branch-type tattoo on the right side of Twins reliever Jon Rauch‘s neck, he said, is a tribute to his wife, who a year ago had a difficult time after a pregnancy.

“That’s all you have to know,” said Rauch, who also is signed for next year.

Look for Beach Boys lead singer Mike Love, who showed up at Target Center to attend nephew Kevin Love‘s first game at a Timberwolf last year, to return to Minneapolis for this year’s Target Center season opener.

Nathan didn’t feel like elaborating on Friday night’s blown call by umpire Phil Cuzzi on Joe Mauer’s fly ball but said it “was one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen. I messed up earlier in the game and he messed up later in the game.”

A fine for Nathan’s reaction isn’t expected.

Twins starter Kevin Slowey, recovering from right wrist surgery, hasn’t thrown a ball since being injured in July. He’ll begin throwing in three weeks in San Diego.

Slowey, who won 10 of 13 decisions this season, said it’s difficult having to watch his teammates and not being able to contribute, “but it would have been more difficult having to watch another team in the playoffs.”

The Twins’ Jesse Crain, 28, will become major league baseball’s youngest right-handed reliever eligible for free agency after next season.

Gophers wrestling coach J Robinson is in Hawaii this weekend to see wife Sue compete in an Ironman competition, then leaves for Iraq to visit and support Minnesota’s 34th Infantry Division.

Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis has eight NBA championship rings — four as a player, four as an assistant — but doesn’t wear any of them. “This is the ring that’s most important,” he said, showing his wedding ring.

This was to be the week when Twins players, had they not been in the playoffs, were to take some batting practice at Target Field.

OVERHEARD

Twins President Dave St. Peter, asked about the disparity between the Yankees’ $201 million payroll and the Twins’ $67 million payroll: “Those are just numbers.”

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